YumSugar

Summer Supper: A16's Tuna Panzanella

YumSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:00:45 -0700

A few weeks ago, I raved about a new Italian cookbook called A16 Food + Wine that has a delicious (and unique) meatball recipe. Well, I'm still learning great things from it. This week, I made a panzanella with tuna and capers, another item on the menu at the launch party. Every ingredient, from the briny capers to the fragrant basil, was well-balanced.

This is a fantastic meal to make if you've got too much bread or when your loaf is going stale. I left the capers whole, since I like their saltiness and texture. You can easily adjust the recipe to your liking; get your hands on it (and step-by-step pictures) when you read more.

Tuna With Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Capers, and Bread
Adapted from A16 Food + Wine by Nate Appleman

Ingredients

1/2 pound country bread
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English (hothouse) cucumber
1 pound tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 tablespoon capers, soaked 30 minutes and chopped
5 basil leaves, coarsely torn
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil-packed tuna, drained

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the bread with about 1/2 cup olive oil, coating the bread evenly. Spread the pieces in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast for 10 minutes, or just enough for the bread to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Slice off a piece of the cucumber and taste it. If the skin is bitter, peel the cucumbers. Otherwise, keep the peel. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into chunks about the same size as the tomatoes.
Place the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl, add the capers and basil, and season with a pinch of salt.
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the vinegar over the mixture and toss thoroughly.
Add the tuna and bread and toss again just until incorporated.
Arrange the salad on a platter and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 17 Photos ›

A16 Food + Wine on How to Make Stellar Meatballs

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:26:07 -0700

One of my favorite chefs, Nate Appleman of San Francisco's A16, has debuted a new book co-written with his wine director, Shelley Lindgren, entitled A16 Food + Wine.

To celebrate the cookbook's debut, Williams-Sonoma, which will carry the book, hosted a launch party with the authors on hand. There, I not only scored a copy of the book but also sampled some entries from the new tome.

I couldn't get enough of the moist, complexly flavored meatballs. The recipe can be time-intensive, but once you taste the finished product, you'll think it's totally worth the wait. Learn how to make the meatballs (and check out photos from the bash!) when you read more.

Monday Meatballs
From A16 Food + Wine

Ingredients

10 ounces boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes and finely chopped in a food processor
10 ounces beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes and finely chopped in a food processor
6 ounces day-old country bread, torn into chunks, chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes, and then finely chopped in a food processor
2 ounces pork fat, cut into 1-inch cubes and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes and then finely chopped in a food processor
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1-inch cubes and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes and then finely chopped in a food processor
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
2/3 cup fresh ricotta, drained if necessary
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes with juices
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Block of grana padano for grating
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat two rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.
In a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, bread, pork fat, prosciutto, parsley, 1 tablespoon of the salt, oregano, fennel seeds, and chile flakes and mix with your hands just until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, and milk just enough to break up any large curds of ricotta. Add the ricotta mixture to the ground meat mixture and mix lightly with your hands just until incorporated. The mixture should feel wet and tacky. Pinch off a small nugget of the mixture, flatten into a disk, and cook it in a small sauté pan. Taste it and adjust the seasoning of the mixture with salt if needed. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls each weighing about 2 ounces, and place on the prepared baking sheets. You should have about 30 meatballs.
Bake, rotating the sheets once from front to back, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 300° F.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and then pass the tomatoes and their juices through a food mill fitted with the medium plate. Alternatively, put the entire can of tomatoes in a large bowl, don an apron, and then squeeze the tomatoes into small pieces with your hands.
Pack the meatballs into 1 large roasting pan or 2 smaller roasting pans. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and braise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meatballs are tender and have absorbed some of the tomato sauce.
Pull the pans out of the oven and uncover. Distribute the basil leaves throughout the sauce.
For each serving, ladle meatballs with some of the sauce into a warmed bowl. Grate grana padano over the top, drizzle with olive oil to finish, and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 7 Photos ›

A16 Food + Wine Book Launch

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:53:56 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Meet the 2009 James Beard Award Nominees!

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:30:53 -0700

Last month, we introduced you to the semifinalists for the 2009 James Beard Awards. This morning, the short list of final nominees was unveiled, and the winners of the awards - nicknamed the "Oscars of the food world" - will be revealed at an awards gala at Manhattan's Lincoln Center on May 4. In addition to the highly anticipated nominations for outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, and outstanding restaurant, among others, the foundation's other honors - in cookbooks, newspaper writing, restaurant design, and blogs - were also announced.

Did any of your favorite chefs and restaurants make the list? View the all the nominations, or check out a summary of some of the biggest award nominees when you read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants; Seattle, WA
Keith McNally, Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Pastis; New York, NY
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; Chicago, IL
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Organization; Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Chef Award
José Andrés, Minibar; Washington, DC
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY
Tom Colicchio, Craft; New York, NY
Suzanne Goin, Lucques; Los Angeles, CA
Paul Kahan, Blackbird; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Babbo, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Mario Batali, Owner: Joe Bastianich
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Fore Street, Portland, ME; Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward, Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL; Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA
Sean Brock, McCrady's; Charleston, SC
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR
Michael Solomonov, Zahav; Philadelphia, PA
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's; New Orleans, LA

Best New Restaurant
The Bazaar by José Andrés, Los Angeles, CA; Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Corton, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt, Owner: Drew Nieporent
L20, Chicago, IL; Chef: Laurent Gras, Owner: Richard Melman
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang
Scarpetta, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Scott Conant

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY
Kamel Guechida, Joël Robuchon; Las Vegas, NV
Pichet Ong, P*ong; New York, NY
Nicole Plue, Redd; Yountville, CA
Mindy Segal, Mindy's Hot Chocolate; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Bin 36, Chicago, IL; Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm
Patina, Los Angeles, CA; Wine Director: Eric Espuny
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Robert Smith

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines; Sebastopol, CA
Garrett Oliver, The Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn, NY
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards; Napa, CA
Julian P. Van Winkle, III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery; Louisville, KY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow
Emeril's New Orleans, New Orleans, LA; Owner: Emeril Lagasse
La Grenouille, New York, NY; Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson
Spiaggia, Chicago, IL; Owner: Larry Levy
Vetri, Philadelphia, PA; Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

Source

Announcing the 2009 James Beard Award Winners

partysugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:15:25 -0700

While the fashion world turned its eyes to the Met's Costume Institute Gala, the food glitterati had a celebration of their own last night.

The James Beard Awards, the food industry's equivalent to the Oscars, were announced in New York City at an awards ceremony hosted by Stanley Tucci (star of the upcoming Julie and Julia), Emeril Lagasse, and Cat Cora. The festivities celebrated "Women in Food" with a postceremony gala hosted by Lidia Bastianich. Thirty-eight awards were presented, while the Journalism and Broadcast Media Awards were announced the night before at a special dinner.

The top winners were Blue Hill's Dan Barber (Outstanding Chef) and San Francisco's darling Nate Appleman (Rising Star Chef).

To check out a list of winners and a gallery of images of the chefs in their finest, including Martha Stewart, Ted Allen, and Cat Cora, read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY

Outstanding Chef Award
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA

Best New Restaurant
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

For more details, check out the official list of categories and award winners.

View 22 Photos ›

Source

Food & Wine Announces 2009's Best New Chefs

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:53:19 -0700

It's the moment the restaurant world has been waiting for: Food & Wine just announced the winners of its annual Best New Chefs awards, which are given to the nation's most promising new chefs.

Considering previous winners have included such celebrated chefs as Tom Colicchio and David Chang, this title could mean a very bright future ahead for 10 of the nation's burgeoning chefs. To find out who they are, read more.

Paul Liebrandt, Corton; New York, NY
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast; Portland, OR
Barry Maiden, Hungry Mother; Cambridge, MA
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal; Los Angeles, CA
Bryan Caswell, Reef; Houston, TX
Christopher Kostow, Meadowood; St. Helena, CA
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene; Atlanta, GA
Mark Fuller, Spring Hill; Seattle, WA
Kelly English, Iris; Memphis, TN

I'm thrilled that my local favorite, Nate Appleman, has finally gotten some national recognition (he's also up for the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year Award). Of course, this means reservations are going to be even more difficult to get! Do you plan on checking out any of these chefs?

Source

Forbes Names Top 10 Up-and-Coming Celebrity Chefs

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:28:31 -0700

We all know Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, and loads of other celebrity chefs, but have you heard of Zakary Pelaccio, Nate Appleman, or April Bloomfield? The folks at Forbes magazine think you should be paying attention because you soon will. In recent article, Forbes has named their top 10 up-and-coming celebrity chefs. These are the folks who are part of the next generation to step into the spotlight.

Many of their picks have seasoned careers - despite being young - and have been pegged as James Beard nominees and have previously graced the cover of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs issue. Forbes chose to highlight them due to the fact that many are making waves with their back-to-basics techniques. Susan Ungaro, the president of the James Beard Foundation, agrees with them and says:

Today's rising stars are taking food in an artisanal direction. When they talk about the menu, they can tell you not only where the lamb was raised, but where the butter came from.

To find out who made their list - and if one of these chefs is in your neighborhood, go eat at their restaurant before it takes months to get a reservation! - just read more.

Nate Appleman, A16 and SPQR; San Francisco, CA
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig; New York, New York
Gabriel Bremer, Salts; Boston, MA
Francois Kwaku-Dongo, l'escale; Greenwich, CT
Jehangir Mehta, Graffiti and Partistry; New York, NY
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Zakary Pelaccio, Fatty Crab and Chop Suey; New York, NY
César Ramirez, Bar Blanc; New York, NY
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR
Paul Virant, Vie; Western Springs, IL

Source