Recipe: Pancetta and Caramelized Pineapple

This was the dish that was on menu listing for the 1960s/70s bash held earlier this year.  I ended up not using pancetta because I saw some Capicollo from Niagara Food Specialities.  It fitted the origin idea better.

The taste that I wanted people to remember is the old fashioned baked ham with pineapple rings. Originally, the idea was to crisp up rounds of pancetta and serve caramelized pineapple on top.  As the responses grew to the invitation list, the original execution of freezing then cutting and frying the bacon seemed a little too fussy especially if the dish was to be served warm.  So, the more traditional ham idea came back on the table but rather than be too literal -- put pineapple on ham and bake -- I decided to caramelize the pineapple, cool, then wrap the capicollo around the pineapple and hold in play with a toothpick. 

The presentation was ugly and in fact, it was the last dish on the appetizer course to be tried by anyone.  It lacked beauty but it was easily the dish that most people loved.  This was largely due to the Pingue's ability to turn the magical pig creature into a salty silky piece of love. 

Once again, this is not so much a recipe as finding the right flavours to put together.  The only real cooking was the pineapple.  Just chop pineapple into pieces that can be wrapped by the ham.  Take the pineapple and place into a pan with a sprinkle of sugar.  Use the most flavourful available.  I used brown but palm would be better and white will do.  Cook the pineapple on medium heat until sugar melts and caramel process begins.  The time will depend on the juiciness of the pineapple but when the sauce is sticky and brown and burns your skin when touched, it is done.

Be careful when cooling.  I didn't leave it outside the fridge for long enough and condensation built up and watered down the flavours.  Once it is cooled then put in fridge.  Also, just a small tip, raw pineapple breaks down meat and can change the texture.  This is the same reason that raw pineapple cannot be used to make gelatin using animal gelatin.  To play it safe, wrap your pineapple just before the party starts.  (That's what she said.)

Recipe: 1970s Cheese-y Ideas

I'm feeling a little bit like a fraud calling these recipes when they are more like construction details.  The following serving ideas were used at the 1960s/70s bash held earlier this year.  The three remaining cheese dishes were: parmesan tuiles with honey and truffle oil, aged gouda with pineapple and grapefruit gel, and manchego with guava cheese and quince paste.

The parmesan, honey and truffle combination were a riff on Bob Blumer's Bee Stings.  To make a tuile, grate parmesan onto a baking sheet.  Make piles of circles.  Remember that the cheese will spread a little as it cooks.  You can use a silicon mat for easier removal.  Put it in the oven at 400 until it is all bubbly.  Most recipes recommend 12 minutes but I have never needed to wait that long.  When they are cool enough to work with, remove the circles from the pan.  If they are warm enough, you can shape them.  For the honey truffle mixture, take honey and truffle oil and mix.  Only a drop or two of truffle oil for 1/2 cup or so of honey.  Just drizzle it on before serving.

Pineapple gel was made using agar agar.  This is a seaweed extract that is often used in Asian cooking or for creating gelatin out of things that don't set with animal gelatin -- pineapple.  The idea for this came from the half grapefruit skewered with cheese and pineapple making it look vaguely like a food hedgehog.  But I thought that the presentation could use an update, hedgehogs no longer being the culinary touchstone it once was. Make one of each pineapple and pink grapefruit jelly using concentrated juice warmed up.  Add the agar agar per instructions on the package.  Add a little more if you think that a firmer consistency is needed or wanted.  Place the jelly in a shallow container for easier removal.  Cut the cheese. (snicker) I used small rectangles and cut the jellies at about the same height and stacked them. 

I used the same presentation with the guava, quince and manchego.  The only difference is that I bought the quince and guava pastes.  The idea came from a friend who, as a child of Guyanese parents, had guava cheese and cheese and remembered it fondly.  Guava cheese isn't cheese but a really thick brick of guava parts crushed together like in an auto wrecking yard.  It slices like cheese and it is moderately sticky but intensely flavoured.  Also, I had wanted to use quince paste (membrillo) for a long time.  I love the delicate sweet rose like flavour and wanted to share it with people.  I was disonsolate thinking that I would have to drop one or the other flavour. but then...

I got the idea that they would pair together well from The Flavor Bible, a book that has lists of ingredients and pairings.  The entries for quince and guava showed that they did not have each other as complementary entries.  However, there was an overlap and the bite with the cheese would have sweet, sour, salty, and savoury (umami). Almost a perfect bite.

The first course stole the show.  We have one more entry into this course and then I will post the mains.

Recipe: Liebfraumilch with Salmon and Cucumber

This is one of the recipes that was made for the 1960s/70s party.  Instead of salmon, as stated on the menu, smoked trout was substituted.  The flavours were the sourness/sweetness of the German wine with a smoky taste of the moist trout alongide the crunch and subtleness of the baby cucumber.  This is a basic layered jelly appetizer that has to be made in steps. 

Warm about a cup of Liebfraumilch, a sweet German wine, add enough gelatin to set the liquid.  Whatever the package says on it will do. 

Most gelatins need to be bloomed which means that a little gelatin has to be sprinkled over some of the wine before adding it to the warm liquid.  I am not putting all the variations in this recipe.  Just ensure that you have enough gelatin to set the liquid chosen.

Then pour into a pan.  I used an 8x8 non stick brownie pan because I was trying to serve fifteen people.  Put that pan and the mixture along with it into the fridge until set.

After it has been set, take another cup of the wine and warm it for the second layer of gelatin. 

Cut smoked trout into strips and lay it on the previous layer.  Slice thin strips of baby cucumber however you want.  If you slice it crosswise, then it is a totally different recipe. Okay, the little recipe humour is over.  Use whatever shape works for your dish.  Think of what you want it to look like.  The cucumber can be put it on top of the fish now, but remember that cucumber floats.  I did that the day of the dinner party, next time I will wait until the next step is completed.

Add gelatin to warmed wine per instructions.  Let cool so that it will not melt the previous layer.

Add cucumber and gelatin mixture and adjust pieces as necessary.  Cool in the fridge.  Now, when it is time to demold, if you have chosen a shallow enough pan with good heat conducting properties, place the mold in warm to hot water. If you have not, then I hope the gelatin just slides out.  Take an appropriate knife or thin spatula, whatever will not scratch the pan and run around the outside.  Unmold and cut into desired shapes.  Best to plate these suckers because it is not attractive looking at people trying to get a jelly piece of something from a serving tray onto their plates.

Some people liked the contrasting flavours of the sour and smoke along with the soothing cucumber.  One person found the whole thing a little too dissonant.  So...

Variations: Sweeter wine would work.  Canned fish would also work.  Other vegetables that are hard enough to give some crunch but will not overpower the wine.  Think zucchini. 

This was a hit at the party as the fish and vegetable suspended in the clear liquid reminded me of those disco shoes with live goldfish. And also most of the attendees liked the taste.  And it looked cool. This dish could easily pair with a salad or as act as a member of the appetizer crew.

Food Trends: Dust

For the last month or so, I have been working with dusts.  A dust is dried fruit, either dehydrated or dried using a low temp oven (170-190F) and then powdered using whatever crushing implement is your favourite (food processor, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, if you are that kind of person). This can be used with  any fruit or vegetable like those old Ronco commercials.  Make sure to put it into a air sealed container as any moisture will cause clumps.  An aside, what really is a vacuum sealed container?  Is anyone really removing all the air?

When the powder is added to water or rehydrated, it takes back the liquid which is a good way to infuse the fruit with another flavour.  I have tried tomatoes and apples so far.

Tomato powder:  used it in making an instant ketchup, like tomato paste--added to pasta, soups, etc, and at the 1970s party made a play on a traditional caprese salad.  Take a bocconcini ball, roll it in olive oil and tomato dust, attach a leaf of basil to the top using a toothpick and drizzle with olive oil.  It looks like a little apple and tastes really tomato-ey.  Even though I was using winter tomatoes, the drying brought out the best flavours including the sourness of unripe tomato. It worked.  I am looking forward to trying this with mozzarella and fresh garden tomatoes.

Apple powder:  I have really only used it with cheeses when trying to come up with a cheeseball recipe, as below...

1970s Blue Balls

Take a blue cheese that is soft enough to work with a room temp such as Geai Bleu.  Make small bite sized balls. Add some chopped dried apples, and roll in apple powder and toasted crushed walnuts.  Serve on crackers (black sesame work well).

The food trend is that this technique is cropping up all sorts of places. (Mandarin dust, wasabi pea dust) Some restaurants are even doing dusts of all sorts of stuff including a dust of chocolate.  Isn't that just warming chocolate and making pebbles of goodness? 

This is an easy technique that can be used to create all sorts of interesting illusions and allusions.  It is a technique that if used with good fruit and veg will yield good results.  Maybe this will drive the dehydrated onion soup and sour cream dip into a special occasion rather than always showing up at the potluck. Think about it -- banana and peanut butter dip without the bananas going all brown, or lemon powder on top of a white cake, or so much more.

Wasn't That a Party!

We threw a 60s/70s retro themed dinner party where we took "classic" dishes and remade them.  The menu is here. Recipes will follow in the next few weeks.  Rather than regale readers with snaps of food that they can't eat or endless tales of what Miffy told Biff, I am going to a straight up analysis of what worked and what didn't.

The Setup:  three rooms with three tables - six, six and three for a total of fifteen people.  There were minor nostalgia items set around (records both 45s and 33 1/3 LPs) along with Tupperware coasters, makeshift bar with Zombie fixin's and tub of homemade beer.  Martinis were made.  Drinks were had.

First Course:  Buffet style with Chinette Royale plates and plastic spoons set in an IKEA cup. 

After the first course, guests sat down at seats by choosing keytags from a bowl (key party).  The tags had the name of a television character on them.  The guests had to find the cards with the proper tv show.  Also on the card was the moment that the show jumped the shark.  This was repeated between courses.

Second Course and Third Course:  Sit down served on my mother-in-law's Corelle dishes. 

What made the party work was the mix of people.  The food was good and when it didn't work, it was not offensive.  When making a menu, consider your guests as it makes the night go better if you are not stressed as the host.  Small changes can be made with consideration for allergies but try not to change the menu.    What didn't work were small inconveniences such as a bad calculation on cutlery needed and a poor choice on one of the dishes.  Also -- Pop Rocks were forgotten.  Pop Rocks always make a good retro party.