September 7, 2011 · 2:28 pm

Tequila Tasting: Two Tequila Cocktails, with Class

Last Thursday night I went to Irving Plaza for a 901 sponsored FreeSol concert. I got a glimpse of Justin Timberlake and watched the band rock out Irving Plaza. I sampled a few tequila drinks before and during the show. And after tasting the natural sweetness blue weber agave affords a margarita at the Sidebar, I sat down with 901 Tequila president Kevin Ruder to pick his brain about this new silver spirit.

I asked Kevin if he’s visited Mexico with Justin Timberlake and if they’ve had a chance to meet the agave growers. Surprisingly they’ve visited Mexico several times, tasting various versions of the distilled agave before developing a unique flavor for 901. Check out JT’s trip here. Tequila has always been JT’s favorite drink so naturally he opted to create his own when he couldn’t find a favorite after trying at least 300 varieties.

901 is a triple distilled spirit that deserved a little extraordinary attention. I first tried this tequila in a classic margarita. Then I tried it straight up in a shooter glass. My first pour was smooth and clear. It left lovely fruit notes lingering on my taste buds.

I took the muddled strawberry concept to the next level thinking about how much I dislike a watered-down version of the original cocktail (halfway through, when the ice starts to melt). So I opted to blend my fruit, and then turned it all into strawberry ice cubes. Next, I mixed the rest of the ingredients, which include home made sparkling lemonade (thanks to my new SodaStream machine), 901 tequilla. And then finally, I garnished the finished product with fresh basil and voila! a drink that only gets better the longer it sits.

Strawberry Rock recipe:

Ingredients 
1 pound of strawberries
½ cup water
1 liter of home made sparkling lemonade
6 ounces of tequila
basil as garnish

Directions
In a blender, pulse strawberries with a few tablespoons of water at a time until mixture is smooth and creamy. Strain. Transfer mixture into ice cube trays and allow to freeze overnight.

Pour tequila and sparkling lemonade into a rocks glass. Stir. Add strawberry ice cube and garnish with basil. Allow cocktail to sit for a few minutes until ice starts to melt to fully enjoy the flavors of this drink. An occasional stir will enhance the flavor.

Next, I took the strawberry cocktail to the next level. This version I devoted to all you gastronomic geeks out there (I’m one of them!). I used lime instead of lemons, clarified it with some agar to make it crystal clear without losing any flavor.

A straight up version of strawberry purée didn’t work the first time around. It was too acidic and too thick, so I watered it down using a ratio of 1/3 water to strawberries, and then added balsamic vinegar and honey to sweeten it up. You can also use simple syrup, or even better, just more tequila.

To that mix I added xanthan gum and calcium gluconate. I waited a day, and then dropped the happy mixture into a sodium alginate bath, rinsed the pebbles in a water bath and finally they were immersed into the cocktail!

My mission was to create a unique and subtle cocktail that looks nice and is fun and exciting to drink. So there you have it: my Strawberry Bomb cocktail made with tequila, clarified lime juice, home made carbonated water, simple syrup, and faux caviar strawberries with balsamic vinegar. Next time you’re entertaining at home, whip this out and you’ll be sure to get some brownie points from your buddies. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bomb recipe:

For the reverse spherification, I went online and used Bob Stanton’s recipe.

For the lime clarification, I used Dave Arnold’s Agar Clarification Made Stupid-Simple technique found here.

Ingredients
1 pound fresh strawberries, blended, strained
½ cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon calcium gluconate
2 teaspoons sodium alginate and 500ml water (about two cups)
500ml water for water bath
12 limes, juiced and clarified with 1 teaspoon of agar (about 1.5 cups of clarified lime juice)
½ cup simple syrup
1 liter carbonated water
6 ounces of tequila
2 bunches of basil

Other tools and gadgets recommended
Blender
Cheesecloth
Strainer
Plastic tube bottle or syringe
Mixing bowls
Ice
Small saucepan to boil agar solution

Directions
In a blender, pulse strawberries with water, balsamic vinegar, honey, xanthan gum and calcium gluconate for about a minute. Strain and pour into a squeeze tube bottle and refrigerate overnight.

Juice limes, strain. Boil 1/3 of liquid about 250ml (1 cup) with agar on the stovetop.

Mix with refrigerated agar to bring to room temp. Place over an ice bath and allow agar to jelly up. Break agar curds with a spatula. Place over strainer with cheesecloth beneath and gently massage mixture. Your resulting liquid should be crystal clear. Add simple syrup to the clarified lime juice. Carbonate water, add lime syrup.

Whisk in sodium alginate with water, strain and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Drop strawberry liquid into sodium alginate bath. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes, transfer to water bath using a slotted spoon. In a martini shaker, pour 1 ½ ounces tequila, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 1/2 ounces carbonated water and 1 ounce of simple syrup. Shake in martini shaker with ice. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out strawberry caviar and place into drink.

Pour into martini glass. Add strawberry balsamic caviar. Garnish with basil, and enjoy!.

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Filed under Food2, Hot on the Blog, Molecular Gastronomy, September 2011, Special Events, Uncategorized

September 5, 2011 · 2:24 pm

Meatless Monday: Roasted Purple Potatoes and Heirloom Grape Tomatoes

Purple potatoes taste delicious, come packed with antioxidants, and are reputed to help lower your blood pressure. I found these at a local farmer’s market and couldn’t resist bringing them home to try and taste for the first time. Pairing them with little heirlooms and seasoning them with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme, proved a fantastic (and yummy) way to savor some of the season’s best produce.

Recipe: Rina Oh

Roasted Purple Potato with Heirloom Grape Tomatoes 

Ingredients
1 pound purple potatoes
1 pound fingerling potatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
kosher salt
pepper

Directions
1. Par-boil purple potatoes with fingerlings in salted boiling water. Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns, and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain and peel while potatoes are still warm/hot. Then slice purple potatoes in half lengthwise.

2. In a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil and place potatoes on top. Top potatoes with remaining olive oil and season with salt, pepper and sage. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes turning the potatoes about half way through.

3. Slice grape tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper and combine in a bowl with potatoes!

4. Devour.

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Filed under Food2, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes, September 2011

September 4, 2011 · 4:07 pm

Rina’s illustrations…

A few months ago while finishing up my culinary studies at FCI, I decided to revisit illustrations again. A long forgotten passion that brought me to Parsons over a decade ago where I indulged in fashion design courses and drew with my small art kit of pencils, conte crayons, charcoal, and markers. My illustration style has evolved over the years and I’m finally ready to showcase what I’ve had brewing up for over a decade now. Here are some recent ones though…looking at these makes me want to dive right back in! I have more on file but those can wait for the actual launch of my website coming soon!

Christina Tosi and the Milk Bar

Le Marmiton illustration

Mark Dissin watching The French Chef

Bread in the City

 

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September 1, 2011 · 6:19 pm

National 901 Day: Get Your Tequila On!


Tequila cocktail recipe coming right up - above: the ingredients.

Today is National 901 Day (That’s 901 tequila day!) And in celebration of 901, there will be a free concert at Irving Plaza performed by the band FreeSol co-hosted by 901 President Kevin Ruderand CEO and founder Justin Timberlake. We’re celebrating the arrival of the premium tequila made with 100% blue weber agave, water and yeast. Over 500 accounts across the US are offering drink specials all night. I’ll be personally attending the FreeSol concert tonight which starts at 9:01pm. That’s right, 9. 0. 1. pm. I also managed to get my hands on a bottle of the silver tequila in the meantime to conjure up my own version of the premium blue weber.
If you’re out and about in NYC today, stop by for a free concert at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in Union Square, New York, NY. I suggest getting there a bit early as this is a free concert and it’s first come first serve type of deal.

And if you’re out and about anywhere else in the US, drink specials featuring 901 Tequila will be available at the following venues (just to name a few!):

Tico – Boston
Cutting Room – LA
Spanish Kitchen – LA
Pink Taco – LA
Ed’s Lobster Bar – NY
SideBAR – NY
Southern Hospitality – NY
Masa Azul – Chicago
Depot Nuevo – Chicago
Justine’s – Austin
All House of Blues nationwide

In the meantime here is my buffet of ingredients. Tequila, strawberries, lemons, limes, ginger, basil, simple syrup, and a few magic potions to make an interesting & adventurous cocktail recipe… Stay tuned for some high tech home made cocktails coming your way!

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Filed under Food2, Hot on the Blog, Molecular Gastronomy, September 2011, Special Events

August 29, 2011 · 12:40 am

Meatless Monday: Campanelle with Perilla Pesto and Summer Vegetables

This summer, I’ve managed to target every backyard garden belonging to friends and family to source the freshest seasonal ingredients for my home cooking. The perilla leaves for this recipe came from my mother’s backyard garden where she’s been growing them for at least a decade now. Sometimes green, and sometimes purple, perilla leaves tend to resemble the stinging nettle leaf.
Widely available in Asian markets, perilla leaves are a staple ingredient in South Korean and Japanese cooking — the Japanese call theirs shiso, while the Koreans call their deulkkae. Using the flavorful herb, I put together a bright and beautiful pasta dish for late summer.

Recipe: Rina Oh
Campanelle with Perilla Pesto and Seasonal Summer Vegetables
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound campanelle pasta, cooked as per package directions
1 cup perilla leaves, blanched in boiling water
3 cloves raw garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Hungarian peppers, sliced
2 medium size tomatoes
½ cup fresh perilla leaves

Directions
In a blender, pulse cooked perilla leaves with garlic and walnuts. Drizzle in olive oil slowly until pesto is fully blended for about two minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Next, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add shallots, peppers, tomatoes and fresh perilla leaves. Saute for two minutes stirring continuously until perilla is tender.

Stir in cooked pasta and pesto sauce.

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Filed under August 2011, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

August 22, 2011 · 12:35 am

Meatless Monday: Corn Soup with Spiced Olive Oil Grissini

Bread-making can be intimating — there’s no doubt. Worries about yeast failing to rise or bread coming out of the oven too hard have confronted even the most confident of cooks. The secret is easing your way in. 

Rather than stumbling over more complicated fare, try an easy grissini bread stick as your first attempt at home baked bread. This bread recipe can be used as a base for any variety: add your favorite spices or grated cheese, and you’ll already be on your way to mastering the art of baking breadsticks. I spiced mine up with hot pepper flakes and loads of fresh ground pepper, the perfect complements to my simple, summery corn soup. 

Recipe: Rina Oh

Corn Soup with Spiced Olive Oil Grissini
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
Corn Soup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white parts only chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6-8 cups water
4 corn ears, kernels removed and core kept aside
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Spiced Olive Oil Grissini
1 package of dry active yeast (about 11 grams)
1/2 cup Luke warm water
Pinch of sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
Pinch of paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Corn Soup
1. In a large saucepot, combine olive oil with onions, leeks, celery and garlic, and cook at a simmer for about ten minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add water, corn, the leftover core and potatoes. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Allow soup to cook for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Remove core and pulse soup in a blender for about a minute in several batches.

Spiced Olive Oil Grissini
1. Combine yeast, water and pinch of sugar. Allow yeast to rise until it doubles in size, or about 30 minutes uncovered in a warm area.

2. Combine teaspoon of salt, flour, olive oil and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. Knead gently for about a minute, or until dough forms slightly. Add pepper flakes, paprika and fresh ground pepper, and continue kneading gently for another minute.

3. Place a tablespoon of olive oil inside a clean mixing bowl. Place dough inside and let sit for about an hour covered in a warm area with a towel or plastic wrap.

4. In three or four batches, roll dough into elongated strips and then cut into 5 inch pieces with a pastry cutter or butter knife. Roll strips into braids, and form into desired shapes.

5. Place strips of grissini dough on baking sheets lined with cornmeal. Spray cooking spray lightly over the strips, and sprinkle with kosher salt. (You can add more spices to top the crust with more flavor!)

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Rina Oh is an artist, writer and chef and a Meatless Monday advocate. For the last year these Meatless Mondays recipes have appeared on Food2.com, a website that is owned and operated by Scripps Networks. These posts are copyrighted material and any photographs, illustrations or written material are forbidden to be used or reposted anywhere without permission. For more information on Meatless Monday, please visit meatlessmonday.com

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Filed under August 2011, Food2, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes, Soups

August 21, 2011 · 4:08 pm

Heirloom Tomato Hunt in Montvale

At $2.49/pound at De Piero's Country Farm

I went on a little hunt for heirloom tomatoes this afternoon. Given the green light to shop to my heart’s content for the best heirloom tomato varieties, I felt like someone handed over a black Amex card. But I don’t own one and do I wish I did! I ventured out to De Piero’s farm, a local family owned business and got a chance to meet the old man himself.

And I thought I had enough fun with the heirloom tomato hunt...

I found some gems and at a bargain price for $2.49/pound for some of the rare purple-green varieties and small bushels of red ones for $3.99/2 quarts. I was in foodie heaven for a few moments. Even swiping my credit card at the end of my tomato hunt didn’t bother me. I had a new sense of feeling high- like a food clepto being fed my daily drug. Alas! I found a local farmer’s market that’s only five minutes away where they carry everything from zucchini flowers to heirloom tomatoes. The purple potatoes looked fascinating too. I thought I should leave some of the shopping for future visits here, hopefully when someone else is paying for me to shop and cook up a storm! I just want to lay next to all the heirloom tomatoes and inhale their succulent summer aroma before giving them away.

De Piero’s Country Farm   300 West Grand Avenue, Montvale, NJ 07645   Tel: (201) 391-4576

***

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Filed under August 2011, Hot on the Blog, Where I shop for food

August 15, 2011 · 4:47 pm

Meatless Monday: White Eggplant Quiche

I recently visited the family owned Weed Orchards in Marlborough, NY where I picked an array of local, seasonal vegetables, and discovered the amazing white eggplant. I decided to make them for myself and a few friends – if they managed to stop by before I ate it all, that is! Luckily for those who live in my neighborhood, I made sure they got a chance to taste this amazing and almost seedless version of the classic purple vegetable.

Milder, less bitter and a tad sweeter, white eggplant cooks up beautifully in quiche. If you don’t have the homebody bug like me and want to skip the batter and dough, don’t worry! A store bought pie dough will suffice your adventure!

Recipe: Rina Oh

White Eggplant Quiche

Quiche dough 
Yields 1 10″ x 2″ quiche or 3 4″ x 2″ round quiches

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
4 ounces of butter cubed
1 egg, beaten or 3 tablespoons of ice cold water
1 tablespoons of ice cold water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour with pinch of salt and sugar and place on a flat surface. Place cubed butter on top of flour and cut through using a pastry scraper until flour reaches a crumb like consistency.

Make a well in center and add egg and fold in dough. Gently knead dough for about a minute. Add the tablespoon of water at this point if the dough is too dry and cracks.

Form dough into a round shape and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, grease three 4″ springform pans with butter and line with parchment paper. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/8″ thick.

Place dough into pans and blind bake with beans for about 15 minutes, remove beans and dock (poke with fork on bottom). Continue baking dough without beans for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place on cooling racks and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Eggplant filling & quiche custard
Yields 1 10″ x 2″ quiche and some left over for healthy snacking

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup cream
3 white eggplant, evenly sliced thin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

On the stovetop, place olive oil in a medium size skillet and allow pan to get hot on high heat.

Add eggplant slices, about ½ cup and saute for a about a minute on each side. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook eggplant in batches for best results.

Combine eggs with yolk and cream in a mixing bowl and whisk together for about a minute.

Place eggplant into baked quiche crust and pour in the custard mixture. Bake at 300 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and place on a cooling rack for an additional hour.


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Filed under August 2011, Food2, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

August 8, 2011 · 4:43 pm

Meatless Monday: Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Summer Vegetables

Corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and arugula are all local seasonal ingredients widely available at just about every market in town during the hot summer months. I made this dish for a light, summery lunch, but bring it out onto a metropolis rooftop along with a few bottles of pinot grigio and close friends and now you’re talking.

I happened to stumble upon a few family gardens this weekend and found these beautiful zucchini flowers. Rare and extremely fragile, I knew I had to take advantage of the gorgeous summer veggie and its unique flavor.

Recipe: Rina Oh

Stuffed Zucchini Flower with Summer Vegetables

Ingredients
4-6 zucchini flowers
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups cooked corn kernels
1 cup arugula
1 cup baby Roma tomatoes, quatered
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Place about a tablespoon of ricotta cheese into zucchini flowers, season with salt and pepper and lightly coat in flour. In the meantime bring frying oil to a temperature of about 350 degrees in a medium-size skillet.

Fry zucchini flowers for about 1-2 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

In a medium-size skillet, heat olive oil on medium to high heat and saute corn kernels for about 2-3 minutes. Add arugula and toss until they are wilted, or approximately another 3 minutes.

Stir in roma tomatoes and lightly toss in the vegetable mixture for a minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

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Filed under August 2011, Food2, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

August 1, 2011 · 4:39 pm

Meatless Monday: Supergreen Pesto Hummus Pumpernickel Crostinis

In the warmer months, pesto reigns king among spreads and sauces. Light and fresh, an almond and parsley-studded smear is ideal for imbuing bright notes of deliciously herby flavor. Spruce it up with a bit of creamy chickpea hummus though, and you’ll be spooning mouthfuls straight from the jar.

Great as an appetizer or afternoon snack, but even better when brought along for a picnic in the park, pesto hummus is a wonderful condiment to keep around. I spread it over pumpernickle toast, and then topped it with diced mango. As beautiful as the teeny squares looked, I couldn’t help but devour them one after another, not when they were that delicious.

Here’s a quick and easy mid summer snack you can shake up and serve as a hipster alternate to your every day hummus. Pesto meets the traditional hummus. It’s tasty, healthy and fun to serve at a cocktail party to kick off and cool off that summer heat. Here’s the supergreen hummus recipe below!

Recipe: Rina Oh

Supergreen Pesto Hummus

Ingredients

1 pound arugula, blanched and drained

2 cups gazpachio beans cooked and drained

3 garlic cloves, blanched

juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons tahini sauce

2 tablespoons parsley

½ cup almonds

½ teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 cup olive oil

8 ounces pumpernickel bread

1 mango, diced

Directions

In a food processor or blender, combine arugula, beans, garlic, lemon juice, tahini sauce, parsley with almonds and pulse for about a minute. Slowly add olive oil on low speed until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the arugula hummus over pumpernickel bread and top with a few pieces of diced mango.

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Filed under August 2011, Food2, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes