Eben Hewitt on Java

Tomato, Onion, and Maytag Bleu Cheese Salad

This is a simple recipe with a little kick to it. It has that old school steak house sort of Smith and Wollensky kind of feel to it.

Ingredients
2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
1 white onion

For the bleu cheese dressing

2 plus 2 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice of one quarter lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk half of the bleu cheese, the crème fraiche, all spices except for the pepper, and lemon juice together in metal bowl.

Cover and refrigerate.

To Complete the Salad
Cut tomatoes across into thick slices ½ slices, throwing out the ends. Cut onion across into ¼ to ½ inch-thick slices. Arrange tomatoes and onions together. Spoon dressing onto the tomatoes and onions, and then top with the remaining crumbled bleu cheese. Grind black pepper generously over top.

Serves 2

Bone-In Cowboy Ribeye Steak

I just love this steak. This recipe is really easy and incredibly flavorful. One can readily find a ribeye with either the bone still in (French cut), or without the bone. Not everyone agrees on which cut to choose. I prefer this steak bone-in, as the bone looks rad, lends a subtle but distinct flavor to the steak, and Alison likes to use the bones to make soup. Those on the other side of the debate say that the bone doesn’t really add much flavor and that butchers leave it in to artificially inflate the weight.

We like to make this mid week as it’s so easy to use the leftovers in a variety of ways.

The caraway seeds give it a citrusy high note and mixed with the deep, rich coffee flavor, this steak turns out like a voluptuous prime rib. Every time we make this, a third of the steak is gone before we get to the table because as I cut it we just stand there, stupified, greedily eating bits with our fingers.

Ingredients
2 lb bone-in cowboy ribeye steak
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp Kosher salt
1 heaping tsp black peppercorns
1 ½ tsp coffee beans (Peet’s Major Dickison’s Blend works great)
1 tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp cumin
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pats unsalted butter

Preparation
1 hour before cooking, take the steak from the fridge and let it sit to warm up to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 450.

Combine all spices in a mortar and pestle and grind together. Rub the steak with 1 tbsp of the oil on each side. Pat the entire steak with the spice mix. Loosely line the baking tray with aluminum foil.

Heat a medium-sized heavy sauce pan to high. Sear the steak 90 seconds on each side. Set the steak onto a baking tray and let rest 5 minutes so it cooks evenly, and not in gradations.

Put the steak into the top third of the oven for 20-22 minutes. Remove the steak from the oven and let rest on the baking tray for 10 minutes. 8 minutes into the resting time, put the pats of butter on top of the steak and fold the foil over the top so it melts quickly. Slice the steak and serve.

Serve with Zinfandel to enhance the pepper, an English ale to pick up the caraway, or Guinness, which picks up the coffee.

Cherry Spiced Pork Tenderloin

This dish has several components: the sauce (which also requires the beurre rouge and berry compote), the pork, and the vegetables. It may sound like a lot of work, but it’s really worth it. I mean it. This is one of the best-tasting things I’ve ever eaten. Thank you, Alison!

In advance, make the beurre rouge and the berry compote (see recipes below).

Serves 4.

The Pork

Get the pork marinating first, then you can go about your other business.

Ingredients:

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp cardamom

1 ¼ lb organic pork loin

extra virgin olive oil

Make the pork rub by bashing up the dry ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Cover the pork with the rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, get the sauce ready and start your vegetables.

The Sauce

This is a beautiful deep and dark red color, and is so rich and delicious.

Ingredients:

½ Andouille sausage, diced

2/3 cup chicken broth

¼ cup Pinot Grigio or other white wine

½ cup berry compote (see recipe below)

2 tbsp beurre rouge (see recipe below)

1 large sprig rosemary

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes to thicken slightly. Strain. Save the sausage. Throw out the berries and rosemary.

Add the beurre rouge and bring to a simmer, stirring with a whisk for several minutes until combined. Cover and turn off the heat. Let this sit while you do the other things.

The Roasting Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 Russet potatoes

8 large shallots

8 large garlic cloves

1 large sprig rosemary

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup dried cherries

¼ lb cremimi mushrooms, halved

Preheat the oven to 400. Skin and cube the potatoes into 1 inch squares. Add the other ingredients to a rectangular glass baking dish and drizzle the olive oil on top. Roast for 1 hour, taking it out every 15 minutes to turn everything over to make sure everything cooks evenly.

Bringing it all Together

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil

After the roasting vegetables have cooked their 1 hour, it’s time to add the pork. Leave the oven at 400.

With a spatula, clear a space in the dish for the pork loin to sit. Add some olive oil to the bottom of the pan so the loin won’t stick.

Get the pork loin from the fridge, put it into the dish, and a little extra olive oil on top of the loin.

Place the dish with the pork and roasting vegetables into the oven and roast for 20 minutes per pound.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. While the pork is resting, turn the heat back on to low under your sauce. Warm it up, stirring occasionally with a whisk.

Slice the pork, placing it in the middle of each plate. Surround with the roasted vegetables. Spoon some sauce on top of the pork.

Beurre Rouge
For this, we like to make our own butter, whipping heavy cream until the butter milk separates entirely. But that’s not entirely necessary, I suppose.

Ingredients:

4 oz (1/2 cup) butter

1/4 cup red table wine

1 shallot, minced

1 small sprig parsley, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Allow the butter to soften out of the fridge.  Combine the wine and shallot in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil until the wine is almost evaporated and soaked into the shallots. Transfer the shallots into a food processor. Add the butter and parsley, and a little salt and pepper. Pulse until mixed. The butter should be wine-dark. Use a spatula to transfer to small ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

This not only is an integral part of the pork dish, but it is delicious on pancakes of course.

Berry Compote

Ingredients:

½ lb strawberries

½ lb blueberries

1 lemon

½ cup sugar

Use a microplane to zest the lemon. Quarter the strawberries and place them into a saucepan on medium heat with the zest and the blueberries. Squeeze 1 tspn of juice from the lemon into the pan. Add the sugar and stir, making sure that the sugar dissolves.

Turn up to medium-high heat to cook the berries, stirring often. Boil for about 5 minutes to reduce somewhat.

Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for use later.

Five Pepper Salsa

This is a delicious salsa that is not too watery and not too saucy, so it's perfect for chips or use on Southwestern dishes. It is a medium hotness, though that may be a skewed view after my decade in the Southwest. It is by no means mild. The acidity and tartness brought on by the vinegar and juice is nicely balanced by the deep sweetness of the tomatillos. It starts out like a pico de gallo, but as you toss it with your hands it gains consistency.

Use caution if you decide to substitute chiles, as they are all very different. For example,
the habanero chile used in this recipe is approximately 40 times hotter than the standard Anaheim
jalapenos also used. Consult a Scoville chart to make sure you've got it right. Leaving in the
seeds can make this salsa inedible, as they contain a concentration of heat. Also, be careful
not to touch your face or eyes after touching the peppers, even after you wash your hands.

Ingredients
8 vine tomatoes
2 tomatillos
4 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 white onion
juice of 1 lime
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded
2 serrano peppers, seeded
1 orange habanero pepper, seeded
1 green pepper
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp best-quality red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400. Bring two cups of water to a boil.

Remove the tomatillos from their shells, and place the shells onto the baking sheet. Place the tomatillos into their shells in order to prevent them from rolling around on the sheet. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil onto each. Grind pepper and add sea salt on top of them. Roast for 18-20 minutes.

While they roast, cut off the stem side of the tomatoes and blanch them for one minute each. The skins should easily pull off. Core and dice the tomatoes and the onions and add them to a large metal mixing bowl. Mince the hot peppers and the garlic and add to the mixture. Stir the mixture with one hand as you add each new ingredient. Add the spices, the vinegars, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

Remove the tomatillos from the oven. They may be slightly burned, which is fine. Remove the stem side of the tomatillos and cut them into a lather. They will gush when cut. Scoop all of this up with the side of your knife and add to the bowl. Mix with your hand. The salsa should have a medium thickness now, and cohere.

Can be served immediately or refrigerated in an airtight container for five days. It will get hotter over time.

Makes 4 cups.

An easy burrito meal: add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan on medium heat, trim the fat from a chicken
breast and dice it. Cook it in the oil with salt and pepper, stirring with a wooden spoon so it doesn't stick. Grill a tortilla on both sides and add shaved gruyere cheese to the tortilla, which should melt slightly. Top with chicken and this salsa.

Orange-Bacon Lentils with Goat Cheese

This delicious dish is not hard to make, and is very healthy. The bacon gets a lot of the fat trimmed, but still adds terrific flavor and texture. It makes a nice lunch or a light dinner, and the Medditeranean flavors work especially well in the summer.

Ingredients
Juice of 3 oranges
1/2 cup fresh sage
1/2 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup mustard
3 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
8 slices bacon
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
6 baby new potatoes, skin on
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
4 tbsp goat cheese (lavendar goat cheese is ideal)
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

Add juice, sage, and rosemary to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a Pyrex measuring bowl.

Add mustard and stir with a fork. Add chicken stock. You should have 2 cups total liquid.

Cook bacon slices. Pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess grease, then remove fat with cooking shears.

Put the bacon in a stock pan and add onion. Slice the potatoes and add to pot. Simmer until potatoes are done, 10-15 minutes. If it gets too dry, add stock.

Rinse the lentils and add to the pot. Add 2 cups stock and black pepper to taste. After several minutes, rinse and add the quinoa to the pot as it will cook first. Boil gently util the lentils are done, about 20-30 minutes total.

Turn off the heat. Stir in white balsamic vinegar. Serve warm. Just before serving, add a dollop of goat cheese to the top of each serving.

Serves 4 for lunch.

Frozen Toasted Almond

I first learned the standard form of this dessert drink when I tended bar on MacDougall street in the Village. I have evolved it somewhat since then. The addition of coffee to the recipe gives the drink more depth, and the vodka gives it a necessary high note. It is thick, rich and creamy, both cooling and warming. It's a professional's drink that's really easy to make at home.

I've made this dozens of times, and I can honestly say that I've never served this to anyone whose eyes didn't swoon shut in delight as they tasted it for the first time. You can actually see their eyes fall from pleasure, as if birds dropping hard to earth, having been pierced midflight with a frozen toasted almond arrow.

Frozen Toasted Almond

Ingedients
1 shot cream
1 shot cooled French roast coffee
1 shot Kahlua
1 shot vodka
1 shot amaretto
1 shot godiva

3 generous scoops French vanilla ice cream

1 handful ice

Brew the coffee and put it in the fridge an hour or so until cool. Add all ingedients to a blender and blend until luscious.

Serves 2

Making Spiked Melon Foam at Home

Two restaurants we've been to recently feature foam in their dishes: Binkley's and Per Se. Kevin Binkley came up through The French Laundry, so the link is not surprising. But at both restaurants (among our all-time favorites) Alison and I have enjoyed a variety of foams served as a delightful accompaniment to meat dishes. The foam is airy, superlight, and has a very concentrated flavor. A little touch of foam is different and exciting and fun. I stumbled upon this recipe by accident while making a cocktail, and we enjoyed it so much that we forgot about the drinks and sat down with utensils to eat spoonful after spoonful of this delicious spiked melon foam.

Ever since ordering an appetizer of "Surf and Turf" at Binkley's, which was wittily accompanied with a little foam to punch up the "surf" metonymy, I have been intrigued. I figured I lacked the knowledge to make foam (I did, er, do), and decided that even if it was a simple recipe, there must be some tool or technique that would keep something as dazzling, as spectacular, as de troupe as foam out of the home kitchen. But following my serendipitous encounter with an Emeril "cooler" recipe, it turns out to be fairly simple, fun to make, and an absolute knockout. You can use the foam in this recipe in place you might otherwise use whipped cream. Alison and I will use it on our raspberry fool, which recipe I'll record later. Perhaps we will call it a "Drunken Fool"...

Spiked Melon Foam

Ingredients
1/2 small round watermelon (2 cups)
1/2 cantaloupe (2 cups)
1/2 honeydew (1 cup)
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup vodka

Cube the melons and place in a freezer bag for 1.5 hours.

Put the frozen melon cubes, honey, and vodka in a blender. Blend on high speed for a couple of minutes. You want to pulverize the stuff.

Place a sieve atop a bowl or other container (we used a Pyrex measuring glass) and pour the blended mixture through the sieve. It will drip slowly from the sieve; the process will take several minutes.

The foam will gather in the sieve. Scoop it out with a regular spoon for desert topping. Drink what ends up in the container.

Serves 6-8.

Orecchietta in Buffalo Arrabiata Sauce

This is a recipe for a simple little pasta dish with a spicy twist. Buffalo has lower fat, lower cholesterol, lower calories, and higher protein and iron content when compared to beef. It also has a lovely texture and distinctive flavor that isn't overpowering. Orecchietta is used because the shape holds the sauce well and its flavor balances the sharpness of the sauce.

1 lb ground buffalo
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 fresh tomatoes
8 sprigs thyme
4 cloves garlic
1/2 medium white onion
2 tsp hot sauce, such as Arizona Gunslinger
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup merlot
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Put on the water for the pasta and salt it. Bring to a boil as you're working on the rest. You can make the sauce in the time it takes for the water to come up and the pasta to cook.

Heat one tbsp of the olive oil in a medium heavy sauce pan. Add the buffalo and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper as it browns.

Add the can of tomatoes. Break them up with your spoon. Chop the garlic and add to the sauce along with the remaining olive oil.

Chop the onion; don't dice it. Add to the sauce.

Add the red pepper flakes, the hot sauce, the cayenne, and the mustard, stirring well. Let this simmer for a couple of minutes.

Chunk the fresh tomatoes. Add them and the tomato paste.

Add the thyme all at once in a bunch, laying it on top of the sauce. Cover and turn up the
heat for a couple of minutes. Uncover and remove and discard the thyme.

Add the merlot.

Let sauce simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally while the orecchietta boils for 11 minutes. The sauce should be ready when the pasta is done.

Cooking the sauce in this way is not only easy and quick, it layers the flavors so you really taste the sauce in waves.

Serve with a light, bright, crisp salad.

Superbowl Steak Sandwich

This is a recipe Alison and I made one dreary Saturday and it was just fantastic. This is an open-faced steak sandwich--a sort of French version of a Philly Cheesesteak with a spicy white remoulade based on Emeril's recipe.

Superbowl Steak Sandwich
(serves 3-4 for dinner, 6 for lunch)

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Equipment: Food processor, 2 saute pans
Warnings: Uses raw egg.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs Choice Ribeye Roast (half pound per person)
Ground Natural Rock Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 small white onions or 1 big one
3 12" French baguettes (half-loaves, one per person, or cut long baguettes into 12" sizes)
1 cup plus 5 tblsp Canola oil
5 tblsp very sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese, aged 7 years

For the Remoulade:
1 cage free egg
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tblsp horseradish mustard (we use a brand called Blue Crab Bay Co.)
1 tblsp prepared horseradish (extra hot)
Juice of 1 lemon

Prepare the Remoulade:
Mix all remoulade ingredients in food processor.
Once they are mixed thoroughly, stream in the 1 cup of oil into the processor, mixing until sauce is thick.
Cover in a bowl and put in fridge until the rest is ready.

Prepare the Onions:
Heat 2 tblsp oil in saute pan on low heat.
Chop (don't dice) onions, saute in oil until soft but not brown (about 20 minutes). Grind a little salt and pepper over onions.
Stir onions ocassionally, preparing the steak as they cook.
When the onions are done, pat lightly with paper towel to remove excess oil. Turn off heat. Cover.

Prepare the Steak:
With very sharp butcher's knife, cut the roast into very thin slices, removing fat. It is very hard to cut the slices as thin as you'll want them. Use the side of the knife and your fist to pound each slice flat as paper.
Heat to medium 2 tblsp oil in a second saute pan. Place steak into pan, browning both sides in batches. Generously grind salt and pepper onto both sides of steak as it cooks. Use the remaining 1 tblsp of oil as necessary.
Transfer browned steak into the onion pan, and stir together. Turn heat back on to low just to heat through before serving. Cover.

Prepare Baguette:
Grate the cheese.
Slice the bread lengthwise.
Get the remoulade from the fridge and generously spread on all slices of baguette.
Transfer steak and onion mixture onto baguettes, sprinkle cheese. There won't be much cheese per sandwich and it won't melt; this is desireable.
Serve open faced with knife and fork, though you probably won't use them.