Hello! Hope you all had a great week, looks like winter hasn't given up yet.
At The Social this week, we are serving Tom Strohl's recipe for Cornish Pasties. A Pasty is a meat pie, filled with beef and root vegetables, wrapped in a crust. You can eat them with a fork, or just pick them up with your hands if you want. Cornish pasties originated in Cornwall, the site of rich deposits of tin. The Tin Miners wives would make these pies for their husbands and sons, with a little fold of pastry at the end to hold on to. These pies would stay warm for a long time, until the hungry miners would have supper. Many miners from Cornwall emigrated to Michigan in the 19th century, bringing this culinary tradition with them and making it an American one. Traditionally the miners would toss the part that they held on to, called the oggie down the mine shafts as an offering to the "Knockers" a kind of Sprite or Gremlin that were believed to live there. When you work in a dark and dangerous place like a Tin mine, it's best to stay on the good side of any supernatural beings who might be around-plus it's a pretty good bet that any arsenic, copper or lead that accumulates on your hands should probably not be eaten but the knockers don't mind -a win/win situation. We will also be serving broccoli cheddar soup and warm brandy apple cider so come on down and get warmed up with us!
The soup this week is Tomato and Lentil, packed with nutrients in a flavorful vegetable-based broth full of protein, fiber, and vitamins. It’s hearty, filling, and vegan too.
The Appetizer this week is Caprese Salad with buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes. We top this with fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
The Cheese we are featuring is Haystack Mountain Chèvre, with honey-ginger brandy that we made in house. The sweetness of the brandy with the tart grassiness of the goat's cheese will hopefully make a nice combination. Let me know what you think of the brandy, I have been experimenting with flavored liqueurs to pair with some of our cheeses. A few weeks ago we did a strawberry-lemon brandy, and I am thinking about some Anisettes and maybe even a classic Rumtoph or two.
At Dinner, check out the Black Mussels and Chorizo Sausage steamed in white wine and tomato broth. This will be hearty with potatoes and herbs, and accompanied with a thick slice of grilled bread. This one just screams for a glass of Albarino, if Lora still has some hidden away.
Don't miss our Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket, in onions and sherry, served with sautéed spinach and a cheese strata. A strata is basically a bread pudding, but without any sugar-like a fancier version of stuffing. Anyway, the whole dish- the beef, the onions, sherry, bread, cheese is sort of like a deconstructed French Onion Soup on a plate now that I look at it. Try this one with a Cabernet Sauvignon, or maybe a Merlot.
We have Peanut-Crusted Korean Barbecued Pork Tenderloin this week, with julienned carrots sautéed with fresh ginger, and a spring roll stuffed with rice noodles and kimchee. Basically, we grill the pork tenderloin, brush it with Korean barbecue sauce, and finish in the oven. As the pork cooks, the sauce caramelizes, and then we roll it in crushed peanuts and sesame seeds before slicing. This one goes way back for me-- from my restaurant days-- and it was always a hit. Try it with Riesling or ask Lora if she has any of that Gavi from the last wine tasting event.
For a vegetarian option, we have a Roasted and Charred Sweet Potato, served over steamed carrots and couscous. This gets topped with a warm pear and apple chutney rich with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Our pasta this week is Pappardelle with smoked tomatoes, braised leeks, and fresh herbs. The whole thing is tossed with olive oil and garlic, and topped with sliced beef tenderloin. Pappaerdelle is an extra-wide flat noodle, good for hearty accompaniments like beef. The word pappardelle is actually derived from the Latin verb ‘pappare’, which means to eat. Apparently, in the Tuscan dialect ‘pappare’ means to consume a food with joy and almost childish pleasure. This pasta is traditional in north central Italy, and historically was made with chestnut flour and no eggs as a simple "peasant" cuisine.
At lunch, we are proud to offer Grilled Salmon Skewers with cranberry and feta cheese sauce, Carved Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce, Lobster Raviolis, Chicken Tacos, Barramundi, and Barbecued Ribs.
On Friday, we will be featuring Chef Michelle Ancheta's Filipino Lumpias as the appetizer of the day. Chef Ancheta is the Sous Chef in our Grayhawk community in Scottsdale, and her recipe looks great. Lumpia are traditional Filipino spring rolls filled with meat and having a light and flaky wrap that stays crisp during cooking. When you find a good Lumpia recipe you keep it, so let me know what you think of this one.
You may see a familiar face this week, we are being visited by Steve Sandblom, the Corporate Director of Food and Beverage. Steve was a frequent visitor before the Pandemic, and we are really happy to welcome him back. I have known Steve for years, he is very approachable and really knows his business. He made it clear to me that he wants to meet with residents and hear their thoughts so if you see him, don't be shy.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing you all at tomorrow's Culinary Corner meeting, come have a pastry and coffee on me.
