CRUSH Birmingham 2012 - A Recap

Craig Rochkind, Paul Kittle, and Gina Kittle enjoying the CRUSH Birmingham fundraiser with me

On Saturday night, I attended the fabulous CRUSH Birmingham fundraiser to support The Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. So much amazing food! Such lovely wines! So many talented chefs! Such a great time ... :)

Craig and I schmoozed with the folks from The Root Restaurant, who'd made the stellar bacon-crusted caramel apples from Baconfest this past summer; we're hoping to meet up again next year to see what they create with the almighty pig. At CRUSH, they served a lovely, crisp-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside pork belly that is one of the contenders for my favorite dish. You already know that indecision is one of my hallmarks; there was so much unbelievably delicious food, how could I choose just one item??? Craig's favorite - he being far more decisive in this area than I am - was the pasta with grilled octopus served by Myles Anton of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. I just relished being able to eat my way through the party.

We chatted with James Beard Award semifinalist Matt Millar of Reserve, who has redeemed venison for me with his amazingly tender ragout. I'd only eaten venison once, decades ago, and found it gamey once I got past the stench of its cooking. But Matt's stew was succulent and addictive, and gives me even more incentive to make a road trip across the state some time, just for a spectacular dinner.

We also had a lovely opportunity to talk with Luciano Del Signore, another Beard Award semifinalist, who thrilled me by recognizing my blog name when I handed him a card. I'd written up his fabulous Pizzeria Biga this summer, he'd tweeted "mille grazie," I'd swooned .... (In my little food-obsessed world, remember, chefs are the rock stars!) He served a gorgeous vegan pepper and quinoa dish, and told us that Italians have been eating this way for centuries; but give the cuisine a new name, and magically it becomes popular here!

Katherine Camera, the sommelier who'd picked perfect wine pairings to go with the prosciutto dish that Beard Award nominee Brian Polcyn of Forest Grill had created, gave us very specific instructions. She told me to take a bite of the dish and then, before swallowing, to take a sip of the wine so that all of the flavors could meld together, enhancing each other. The red wine was really lovely; and we were very surprised to learn that it had come from ... get this ... Lebanon. I don't know 'bout you, but I don't normally think of Lebanon as a wine producer! But Katherine said there is a long tradition, and Lebanon is on the rise in the wine world.

There was luscious shrimp, beautifully smoked lake trout mousse, crisp potato chips, fragrant sweet honey, tender handmade pasta, crisp slaw, an exceptional pink champagne, a tart German white wine, a distinctive Greek red ... so many tastes, textures, and temptations!

We couldn't stay for the entire evening, as Craig's 13-year-old dog, Sammi - a very sweet little Bolognese (who looks a bit like a Bichon, or a lamb!) - needed care for a nasty cough and tracheal inflammation.

But just before we left, I was so thrilled that Gina and Paul Kittle, who'd won my ticket giveaway, were able to find me in the crowds! In his comment on the giveaway post, Paul had so very sweetly written: "I'd love to win to take my wife on a much deserved Date-Night! We'd enjoy the ride over to beautiful Birmingham!" They came from Muskegon, north and west of here, and spent the weekend downstate; they were able to visit their daughter who lives in the area, as well. So Paul and Gina had a perfect weekend of food, fun, and family - I'm so excited for them!

CRUSH Birmingham was an exceptional event for an even better cause. I was so happy to be able to support it ... :)

Shrimp with Michigan Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pudding and Sweet Potato-Ancho Chili Cream
Jim Barnett, Executive Chef of The Westin Book Cadillac in Dettoit

Hand-Rolled Pasta with Grilled Octopus, Mushrooms, and Fresh Tomato
Myles Anton, Executive Chef of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City

Sourdough bread spread with cheese and drizzled with local honey
Myles Anton, Executive Chef of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City

Broth with Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tortelli, Kabocha Squash, Spiced Heirloom Apple, and Toasted Pepitas
Daniel Campbell, Executive Chef of Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro and Bellapiatti in Birmingham

Crispy Braised Michigan Pork Belly with Roasted Butternut Squash Puree and Corn
James Rigato, Executive Chef of The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake

Venison and Wild Boar Terrine
Matt Millar, Executive Chef of Reserve in Grand Rapids

Venison Ragout with Gnocchi
Matt Millar, Executive Chef of Reserve in Grand Rapids

House-Cured Salmon with Potato Galette and Truffled Creme Fraiche
Paul Grosz, Executive Chef of Cuisine in Detroit

Quinoa Livornese-Stuffed Roast Pepper, Sauteed Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, and Braised Baby Artichoke
Luciano Del Signore, Executive Chef of Bacco Ristorante in Southfield and Pizzeria Biga in Royal Oak

House-Made Prosciutto with Olive Oil-Poached Mediterranean Salad and Pecorino Romano
Brian Polcyn, Executive Chef of Forest Grill in Birmingham and Cincos Lagos in Milford

Lake Huron Smoked Trout Rillette with Red Onion Relish
Steven Gostick, Executive Chef of Toasted Oak Grill in Novi

Lamb Tartare with Cream of Blue Cheese
Guillaume Hazael-Massieux, Executive Chef of La Becasse in Maple City

Sweet-Tart Grilled Strawberries and So Much More at Berry Fest

I recently received a lovely email from Whole Foods Market, inviting me to enjoy some beautiful organic berries and encouraging me to share the bounty:

"Summer means getting together with friends and loved ones to celebrate longer days, warm (sometimes too warm!) weather and relaxed schedules. At Whole Foods Market, it’s also a time that we rejoice in the fresh goodness of organic berries .... (We're) celebrating organic blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, and we’d like to invite you to join in on the fun by hosting your own berry bash!"  (Note: To that end, Whole Foods very graciously provided me with a gift card to help purchase supplies.)

Well, how could I refuse such a charming offer?  I adore berries, and I'm always happy to feed my family and friends.  Count me in!  I've been to Baconfest, then BRU Fest ... the time had come to be the hostess with the most-est for Berry Fest!

I didn't want to just make strawberry shortcake, although I love it; I wanted to expand beyond the expected.  At the same time, though, I didn't want to make anything overly complicated or exotic; rather, I wanted to serve dishes that would let the berries shine, and dishes that are easy enough to make that you can enjoy your berry fest after a long day at work or a busy weekend full of chores and errands.  I also wanted to be sure there were treats to enjoy even on those days when it's just too hot to cook.

And so, I devised the following menu:

Appetizers:
Mini Toasts with Goat Cheese and Fresh Blackberries
Blueberry Sausage Puffs with Raspberry Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Antipasto Platter featuring salami, cheeses, and Pomegranate Molasses-Basted Grilled Strawberries

Entree:
Blackberry-Fig Marinated Grilled Chicken with Spiced Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Salad:
Greens 'n' Grains Salad with Fresh Blackberries

Desserts:
Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Bars
Pizelle S'mores with Toasted Marshmallows and Smashed Raspberries

I also served raspberry iced tea and a bottle of raspberry-lemon sparkling water - easy but delicious beverages to complement the theme du jour.  And to keep the drinks cold, I offered ice cubes that had raspberries frozen into them, for flavor and for color.

Today, I'm offering recipes for the appetizers; the rest of the week will be devoted to the other delicious dishes.  Enjoy the bounty!

Mini Toasts with Goat Cheese and Fresh Blackberries

Jeremy really enjoyed these, telling me that the flavors of the cheese and the berries complemented each other perfectly.

1 6-ounce package Chevrie Fleurie organic soft-ripened goat cheese, at room temperature
16 Whole Foods 365 brand mini toasts
16 organic blackberries

Slice the cheese into 16 pieces, placing one slice onto each piece of toast; top with a blackberry.

Makes 16 toasts.

Antipasto Platter featuring salami, cheeses, and Pomegranate Molasses-Basted Grilled Strawberries

Everyone loved the cheeses and the salami, but they raved about the strawberries - "I didn't know you could grill strawberries," "This really brings out the sweetness in the fruit," and "The glaze really brightens the flavor of the strawberries."  I had wanted to serve something other than the usual olives, and was thrilled that the skewered berries were such a hit!

favorite meats - I served Fiorucci brand all natural hard salami
favorite cheeses - I served Seaside English Cheddar, Fontina, and a blueberry-studded Wensleydale
16 organic strawberries
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Arrange meats and cheese in slices or cubes on a plate, leaving room for the strawberries.

Thread 2 strawberries onto skewers (so they don't just spin on one stick).  Preheat grill to medium-low, then place skewered strawberries onto grill.  Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, basting with the pomegranate molasses, just until slightly caramelized.  Place strawberries onto antipasto platter and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Blueberry Sausage Puffs with Raspberry Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I used the blueberry-flavored sausage to keep with the party's theme, but any flavor of sausage could be used for these simple, elegant, and delicious hors d'oeuvres.

Puffs:
1 17.3-ounce package of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
8 links Whole Foods uncooked blueberry country maple breakfast sausage
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 400F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.

One at a time, roll each of the 2 sheets of dough on a lightly floured surface until it is just over 12"x12"; trim rough edges.  Cut dough into 4 quarters.

One at a time, lay a sausage link onto one piece of dough, at the closest edge to you; roll up, pinch dough to seal.  Cut into 8 pieces and place the pieces onto the prepared baking sheet, cut side up, leaving 2" space between puffs; repeat with remaining dough and sausage.

Combine egg and water; brush lightly over pastries.  Bake for 15 minutes until puffed and golden and sausage is cooked.

Raspberry Honey Mustard:
1/2 cup organic raspberries
4 tablespoons Whole Foods 365 brand organic honey mustard
2 tablespoons buckwheat honey

Place raspberries into a small bowl; mash thoroughly with a fork.  Stir in mustard and honey.

To serve:  Place sausage puffs onto a serving plate, and offer with a bowl of the dipping sauce.

Makes 64 puffs and about 1 scant cup sauce.

Fruit and Cheese Tidbits

The holiday season hasn't ended yet, even if we're all starting to normalize a bit after the chaos of shopping and wrapping and cooking and baking for Christmas. New Year's Eve is Saturday night; presumably you're either hosting a party and need to feed your guests, or you've perhaps been asked to bring a contribution to someone else's party.

Even if you have no glamorous plans to dress up and sip champagne at midnight, you might still want to make your evening a bit festive with a special treat. And so, regardless of how you plan to welcome 2012 - and no matter how busy you may be with work, houseguests, or anything else - I've got the perfect recipe.

Except that there isn't even really a recipe for this, it's so ridiculously easy! Yet these little tidbits are nutritious, they complement any beverage (alcoholic or not), and people of all ages love them.

May the new year bring you much happiness and many blessings!

Fruit and Cheese Tidbits

fruit: grapes, berries, kiwi slices, pineapple chunks, etc.
cheese cubes
froofy toothpicks

Skewer a piece of fruit with a toothpick, then anchor the toothpick in a cube of cheese. Place your masterpiece onto a serving tray. Continue until you either run out of ingredients, trays, or time.

That's it. Truly, that's it!

Cucumber, Tomato and Olive Hors d'Oeuvres

For Tom's reception last week at the 55+ Gallery in the Turner Senior Resource Center, we brought both a blueberry cake and some summery hors d'ouvres.

I always have such a hard time trying to figure out what to make for these events. Because it's August, it only made sense to use some beautiful garden and farmers' market produce rather than puff pastry that can be purchased at any time of year. We wanted something seasonal.

And for some reason, a deconstructed Greek salad got stuck in my mind: cucumbers, tomatoes, lovely Kalamata olives. Feta's rich saltiness was desired, but it was too crumbly for the hors d'oeuvres as we started to envision them, on skewers.

So we substituted something spreadable - herbed cream cheese. And, of course, we left out the gorgeous but messy beets!

These were a delight for all our senses: visually enticing, tantalizing aroma, cool to the touch, crisp to bite into, and vibrantly flavorful.

Cucumber, Tomato and Olive Hors d'Oeuvres

1 English cucumber, sliced 1/4"+ thick
1/2 of an 8-ounce container of chive and onion spreadable cream cheese
16 Kalamata olives, pitted, halved lengthwise
32 grape tomatoes

Cut each cucumber slice in half across the slice. Schmear 1 teaspoon of cream cheese onto each cucumber piece. Take a froofy toothpick and skewer an olive half first, then a tomato. Skewer the cucumber last, without pressing the toothpick all the way through; the cucumber should lay flat against a serving tray.

Makes 32 hors d'oeuvres.

Note: Be sure to use wooden toothpicks. The plastic skewers we used were distinctive, but they didn't stay in the cucumber slices very well. Also, if you want the cucumbers to be "striped," simply run a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber before slicing it.

Roasted Cheddar-Herb Almonds

Jeremy, I'm sorry to say, has gone on the late, not-so-great Atkins diet -- you remember, the one that was all the rage 'cause it let you eat all the bacon and burger patties and pork rinds you wanted without expecting you to eat anything nutritious like fruit??? He and his dad started it just in time for Christmas, on the "buddy system" ... sigh. They've had a great deal of success already, but it certainly made life difficult for this chickie who made a dozen different types of sweet treats!

So, while I've been baking cookies and planning to give a tin of them to Jeremy, he's been eating Quarter Pounders without the buns, strips of bacon doused in cheese, pork chops in sour cream sauce ... oh, and one token taco salad without any chips. What kinds of treats could I give to him, then???

Jeremy suggested Jell-O Jigglers, made with sugar-free Jell-O; he told me that the blue ones looked good. Oh, if only I could capture in words my look of disgust and disdain when I heard that!

And then another idea struck, a much better one than rubbery blobs of blue goo: roasted nuts ... almonds, to be specific.

I dug through some recipes for ideas and mangled this one together from pieces of all the others. They smell so, so good as they're baking! And they're unbelievably addictive ... Jeremy is lucky that I left a few for him!!! When he tried some at our Christmas gift exchange, he just closed his eyes and said, "Mmmmmmm" ....

Roasted Cheddar-Herb Almonds

1 egg yolk
2 cups raw almonds
3/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, beat yolk; add almonds and stir to coat.


In a small bowl, combine cheese, garlic powder, seasoning and salt; pour over the almonds and stir to coat.


Place the almonds on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.


Bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake for another 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door a bit, then let the almonds rest for 15 minutes.

Remove almonds from oven and let cool completely. Serve in a decorative bowl or place into a pretty jar to give as gifts.

Homemade Green Onion Dip

Awhile ago, I won the most lovely set of spices -- the Harvest Time Gift Set -- from the Savory Spice Shop, care of a giveaway hosted by my friend Karen of Eat Drink Wash Up. I have put the set to use on chicken and pasta and all sorts of other goodies; truly, this was a fabulous thing to win!!! And I recently relied upon it to make a lovely onion dip.

I used two of the four spice mixes: the Tarragon Shallot Citrus Seasoning and the Wash Park All-Purpose Seasoning, each offering a different blend of herbs and spices and flavors and thus each making its own contribution to the greater good. 'Twould be an entirely different species without them!

Tom loves onion dip, which I never buy because I always make my own; there are many things I won't pay for -- chocolate chip cookies, salad dressing and manicures, just to name three -- because it's so easy and comparatively inexpensive to do it myself. Onion dip is on that list of items I wouldn't spend good money for because I can likely do it better. Call me conceited, but it's true!

So, one day recently Tom challenged me to make an onion dip. Ha! That's easy! Sour cream, maybe a green onion instead of white or red, some of the multitude of spices I have in my pantry, and stir 'em all together. It needed a bit of oomph after resting overnight, so then I threw in my favorite condiment (which goes on sandwiches, in salads, on pasta) -- Dijon mustard.

And a star was born, to be served with pretzels or chips or vegetables (not "veggies" -- never "veggies!") or anything else that strikes your fancy ....

Homemade Green Onion Dip

2 tablespoons butter
2 fat scallions, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Savory Spice Shop Tarragon Shallot Citrus Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Savory Spice Shop Wash Park All-Purpose Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the whites of the scallions, and saute just until translucent.


Place the sour cream into a medium bowl along with the sauteed scallions, the raw green parts of the scallions, the Tarragon Shallot Citrus seasoning, the Wash Park All-Purpose seasoning, the salt, pepper and mustard.


Stir to combine well, then cover and refrigerate at least overnight before serving.


Makes 1 cup.

A Moveable Feast That Was "Plentiful and Free!"

Last night, Tom and I went to a really lovely reception at which some of his digital artwork was featured. We attended Vital (A)(R)(T), a curated exhibition presented in conjunction with the "Depression on College Campuses" Conference sponsored by the National Network of Depression Centers, of which the University of Michigan is a member. One of Tom's pictures had actually been featured in the advertising for the conference's national tour, though it wasn't physically present among the very few offerings that space allowed for.  But another, which I really loved and hadn't seen before -- "The Fires Burn" -- was featured (shown, viewed, admired!) during the meet-'n'-greet-'n'-eat at the end of the first day. It was SO fabulous to see the piece displayed publicly! And it was also great to meet Lindsey, the woman who'd acted as curator for the very poignant and touching exhibit of works representing a "diverse group of voices shining a new light of hope on mental illness and social stigma."

After admiring and schmoozing we meandered our way over to the food tables, which had been beautifully presented by the ever-amazing The Moveable Feast.  We'd originally planned to go to Silvio's for pizza afterwards; but when standing right next to a gorgeous buffet table, we debated our options: handmade, organic pizza ... free food that looks soooo good ... pizza ... free food ....  And for once -- truly a rare occasion because I am absolutely the least decisive person on Earth, particularly when given choices among food! -- I took a stand: "This is plentiful, and it's free."  Who were we to turn down such generous hospitality???  And my sweetie agreed with me that the offerings we were perusing looked and smelled amazing ... and so, we set ourselves to the task of eating dinner.

There was an extraordinary fruit tray with pineapple (my personal favorite), cantaloupe, honeydew melon, watermelon, and both red and green grapes -- everything was perfect and delicious.  We moved on to red pepper hummus with both cucumber slices and very light/airy pita chips for dipping.  Next were spring rolls, as well as some (presumably?) taquitos; they were very good, whatever they were!  There were barbecue meatballs with just the right amount of zest, some puff pastries with a luscious creamy filling, and also some exceptionally good bruschette with fresh mozzarella, pesto and tapenade-topped tomatoes (love that alliteration!) ... sigh. 

I was greatly impressed (both visually and taste-wise) by the cute little Asian salads -- shredded lettuce, Mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles in a light ginger vinaigrette -- which were served in small Chinese food take-out boxes ... a simple touch, but a brilliant one!  I can cook, but presentation is admittedly not my strongsuit; I loved this idea, and will likely abscond with it at some point ... hey, at least I'm giving credit where it's due!

And then, as though all of the savory options hadn't been sufficiently tantalizing or filling, there was dessert -- and not just little mini tidbits and tastes of dessert.  Full-sized brownies ... oh, and chocolate chip cookies ... oooh, and oatmeal cookies ... (gasp!) and sugar cookies!  Tom (lover of baked goods that he is, which is just one of his very many exceptional qualities) very astutely selected one of everything, and we split each treat in half with much glee.  The rich brownies -- with just a dab of frosting -- were my personal favorites, devotée of chocolate that I am.  I was a very happy and giddy girl!

And so, another round of indulgence in fabulous food sadly came to an end ... until the next adventure!  We do still owe Silvio's a visit, and pizza is sounding really, really good right now ... :)